We can trot all the cliches out for this one (six pointer etc), it is a massive game at the foot of the table. I have a soft spot for the Royals, they are my nearest top flight club and have a blueprint for success that many clubs, like Brentford, can look to emulate.

However, their squad is,  one or two players aside, basically Championship level, battling qualities can only take you so far at this level and there are only so many times you can be outplayed for 75+ minutes and come back from two down. They should definitely have at least seven points fewer and that would see them pretty much already doomed, they play far too gung-ho here at the Madejski and leave themselves exposed at the back too often, but cannot really play any other way. They really only have 2-3 players of PL quality and at least one of those, Pavel Pogrebnyak (22-5-0) is suspended today, most of the others have to continually raise their game just to stay competitive, or be used sparingly in short bursts, like striker Adam Le Fondre, who is (26-10-1) but only made eight actual starts all season and Reading are 0-1-7 in those. I remember and this was not so long ago, big debate about whether ALF would be able to cut it at even League 1 level, let alone the Championship or higher, he was still playing fourth teir football at the start of last season and all the people clamouring for him to start, need to remember that and those stats for when he does play 90 minutes. Keeper Adam Federici is again injured and will be replaced by Stuart Taylor who conceded three last week on his debut, after sitting on the Manchester City bench for three years, making just one FA Cup appearance ! Jimmy Kébé (18-5-2) is also doubtful, Reading have won three times in 2013 and the pacy right winger has contributed in each, scoring three goals and assisting in two more.

Villa are simple the better team and play more like a mid table outfit at times, especially away from what has become a claustrophobic atmosphere at Villa Park, we discussed them last week ahead of their home game with Manchester City ... The hosts have a goal shy reputation, but in their last 16 starts they have scored in 12 ( inc last 7) and that sequence included four at Norwich, three on the road at both Liverpool and Everton and two at Swansea and WBA. They lost that 1-0 and again, an error cost them points, they should have the steadying influence of Ron Vlaar at the back today which will help and if the keep the errors to a minimum today, have the pace on the break and ability to stroke the ball around, to cause the Royals plenty of problems. Romelu Lukaku of WBA had a field day here recently, scoring twice and hitting the woodwork another two times and seriously could have scored five and another similar and equally inform striker, in Christian Benteke, who has scored six of his last eight on the road, could have just as much success for Villa. 1.5 units Aston Villa level ball 2.13 asian line/ Ibramarket.

Reading have scored 35% of all their goals this season in the last 15 minutes, but Villa have also scored 30% of their's after the 75th minute, between them, these two have conceded an eyepopping 63 goals in the last 30 minutes of games.

There is some 2.75 in a place for Villa to score over 1.5 goals and as high as 7.0 for them to score three or more, this match has huge potential to develope into a shootout if the first goal come early enough , Reading have conceded three here to Tottenham, Fulham, Manchester United, Arsenal (twice), Wigan and should have done so to both WBA and Everton and if you can find either, or close to, those top prices, they are worth taking for minimal stakes.

Good Luck.